Thresher forensics fares well at national tournament

GATLINBURG, TENN. -- The Bethel College forensics team earned seven awards at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, finishing strong despite its small size. With only four members of the squad competing, the Thresher squad placed 12th overall out of 40 teams from colleges and universities across the country. Carson-Newman College of Jefferson City, Tenn., hosted the tournament March 10-13. Pi Kappa Delta is the oldest collegiate forensic organization in the United States.

In the individual events section, Lindsey Miller, senior from Haven, placed third overall in extemporaneous speaking. She also advanced to semi-finals in informative speaking and received an award for being in the top 30 percent of competitors in poetry interpretation.

Becky Schulz, freshman from Newton, advanced to semi-finals in extemporaneous speaking. Sophomores Peter Miller, Partridge, and Cory Buchta, Newton, each received an award for being in the top 30 percent of extemporaneous speakers at the tournament.

These results placed Bethel as the top extemporaneous speaking team at the tournament.

During the debate section, Lindsey Miller and Peter Miller first advanced to quarterfinals, where they defeated the top-seeded team to advance to semi-finals. They ended up taking third at the tournament.

The Bethel squad’s final competition of the 2005-06 year will be the 2006 American Forensic Association-National Individual Events Tournament at the University of Florida in Gainesville April 1-3. Bethel has qualified six students in 11 events, the highest number of qualifications in 20 years.

Bethel College is a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. Founded in 1887, it is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is known for its academic excellence and has been named a Top Tier college by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1998. For more information, see the Bethel web site at www.bethelks.edu.

Back to News GATLINBURG, TENN. -- The Bethel College forensics team earned seven awards at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, finishing strong despite its small size. With only four members of the squad competing, the Thresher squad placed 12th overall out of …